Comfortably Numb
by Shattered Apocalypse
Summary: "Why won't you let yourself be happy?" Ino shoots back, "You're in love with Sasuke, a literal trash bag, while Lee, one of the sweetest men in the world, worships you. And you disregard him because, what, you don't like his eyebrows? You have no right to ask me that question. I can tell you're miserable, trying to get Sasuke to notice you yet again."


**_Warnings_ : **This does not follow the timeline of the Naruto universe. Very little of this is accurate in comparison to the anime/manga. Some people that should be dead are alive, etc. Before Naruto's training, let's say the Konoha 11 are… 14-15. Afterwards, 19-20. Also, Jiraya's training takes 5ish years instead of 2 because I don't like writing about love between 12-15 year olds. THIS DISCUSSES MENTAL ILLNESS.

This is Ino centered, because I feel like she gets a bad rap, and because I also think she's cool and has a lot of untapped potential.

It's been almost six years since I've written anything, so for all I know this could be complete crap. Let me know in a review if it's good or not, cause I genuinely do not know.

I disclaim.

* * *

Comfortably Numb

Ino's mission is the simple surveillance of a treaty between the small villages of Kusagakure and Takigakure. The two had wanted representatives from each of the surrounding lands to witness the peace between their villages, and Tsunade had decided the best person to send was Ino. Since it was agreed that the treaty would be signed at Takigakure, as they were the ones to propose peace, Ino first goes to Kusagakure to join their people on the way to the other village. On the road, she ensures the safe passage of the Kusagakure leader (for they're allies of Konohagure), but no serious attacks are made, and the representatives make due time to Takigakure.

When the visitors arrive, they are greeted fondly, and told to prepare for the feast. Noticing Temari and Haku among the representatives, Ino is put at ease. Or at least, as much at ease as shinobi can get while on a mission.

Live music plays as children and villagers celebrate in the streets surrounding the mansion, dancing and singing and playing games; stalls are set up, and lanterns float in the sky. By Takigakure tradition, the joining of the two villages in peace will be celebrated for three days and three nights, before the official signing of a peace treaty.

As the representatives and leaders make their way into the foyer, servants await their entrance. One leads Ino to her chamber rooms, where she drops her belongings onto the futon, takes out the necessary toiletries, and makes her way to the bathroom.

After carefully placing everything where she wishes it to be, Ino quickly undresses and hops in the shower, making sure to scrub away all the sweat, dirt, and grime from days of travelling through untamed nature. All of the representatives are encouraged to be presentable at the feast, and Ino does not have to be told twice.

Ino double checks her appearance in a full-length mirror present within her chambers. She isn't wearing her usual ninja gear, but she still has clothes she can easily maneuver in. Clad in thigh length, high-heeled black ninja boots, a flexible purple-indigo dress similar to her typical ninja gear sans the exposed midriff, and black booty shorts underneath her clothes, the only thing left to do is to conceal as many weapons, scrolls, and useful tools without anyone noticing. Weapons are forbidden at the feast, but that stops no ninja. Satisfied with her ensemble, Ino fixes her make-up, and makes her way to the great dining hall.

The Yamanaka takes her spot at the table; the feast begins, and everyone eats their full of savory food. After the last course has been served, the representatives follow the village leaders to a separate room where they are met with drinks, music, and dancing. Incense burns, the smell relaxing and familiar. The celebration runs smoothly, and so Ino joins Haku and Temari for a bit of chit chat. From the corner of her eye, she can see the village leaders roaring with laughter, and she has no doubt that outside the mansion, things are much the same.

The blast shoves the entire party of representatives in opposite directions.

* * *

Ino Yamanaka awakes on cold, hard granite. Little of the ground can be seen, as it is covered in broken brick, chunks of wood, clay, and body parts. She isn't sure how long she's been out – not that long, it seems, as she can sense panic still in the air. She sees it, too, in the lifeless bodies around her, some incomplete, as limbs were blown away from owners.

Small fires burn nearby.

The noise around her is muted, the screams and crying seem distant and far away.

 _She can't hear._

Attempting to get up, she hisses in unbearable pain and promptly falls – her leg is broken in multiple places, swollen, red, and already bruised. She tries to heal it, but to no avail.

" _Ino!"_

" _Ino!"_

"Ino!"

"INO!"

Everything feels surreal, but sitting on her side, with her arms supporting the majority of her weight, Ino directs her head toward the muffled sound of her name.

It is Temari, kimono torn, a piece of wood lodged in her shoulder, limping towards her. "Ino, I need you to get up."

Reading her lips, as her ears had not yet caught up, Ino replies, "I can't – my leg is broken, and I can't fix it. My chakra won't work. _Why is my chakra not working?_ "

Temari frantically explains, "No one's chakra is working. Haku is gathering survivors, and none of us are in any position to fight back; _we need to go_."

Eyes wide open, Ino instead crawls in the opposite direction.

Temari quickly follows. "What are you doing? You're in no position to collect survivors!"

Suddenly stopping, Ino grasps onto Temari's good arm, crying out, _"The children._ They planned this attack because they knew all of the children would be outside at the festivities. The leaders aren't the targets, the children and villagers are."

Understanding overcoming her, Temari raises Ino up on her good leg and helps her march to where the civilians were.

"I need you to lead me to those showing signs of life," Ino huffs out, the smoke and her injuries making it hard to breathe.

The Suna-nin complies, leading Ino to the first child she sees. He is withering in pain, tears flowing down his face. "How are you planning to help him?"

"I have… medicine… salves… bandages… hidden on my body." Ino gracelessly falls down near the boy, seething as she puts pressure on her broken leg. It is getting difficult to breathe, but she persists. "His knee is dislocated," she puffs out, "I need you to find me some wood so I can… secure his leg after I… relocate his knee."

As Temari searches the grounds for a good enough plank, she hears Ino, in the distance, muttering, "shh… shh…" as she cracks the boy's knee into place.

His screams are deafening.

* * *

Tears in their eyes, Ino and Temari go at it, over and over again, until Ino runs out of everything she has. Towards the end, both Ino and Temari are crawling on hands and knees to help those in need. Haku, with his broken ribs and punctured lung, limps over and collects any child saved so he can lead them to the only part of the mansion that had not been demolished in the bombings.

Surrounded only by the dead, both shinobi collapse.

* * *

Ino awakes in the hospital at Konoha.

Her hearing has fully returned, and her leg is healed, though tightly bound to prevent overuse. The bruises and cuts decorating her body are lathered in salve.

Turning her head slightly, she notices Tsunade-sama watching her.

The silence in the room is suffocating, as uncomfortable as the deafness she felt during her mission. Ino is the first to break it: "It was the incense."

"I'm sorry?"

Softly, Ino continues, "During drinks, after the feast, someone burned incense in the room. All of the off-duty shinobi were there, and none of us noticed its effect on us. The incense was meant to incapacitate us, the bombs were meant to kill as many children and civilians as possible. Takigakure has few children as it is, but their ninjutsu are valuable. Killing the children ensured that it would take Takigakure a long time to re-establish both a strong village, and a strong military base. By blocking our chakra, the attackers prevented us from healing as many survivors as possible, and from following the line of attack to find the perpetrators. I don't believe the attack was made by Kusagakure; the bombs were made of clay. Are Haku and Temari okay?"

Tsunade nods, and Ino's shoulders relax. Being Ino's primary physician, she can't help but ask, "Is there anything you need from me?"

When Ino closes her eyes, she can see broken bodies. "Antidepressants. Also, I need to learn more. Not just medical ninjutsu. _Everything._ I want you to teach me everything you know."

Tsunade is quiet for a moment. "I will prescribe you antidepressants, and if you agree to keep me updated monthly on how they make you feel, we will intensify your training regime as soon as you are released from the hospital. Deal?"

"Deal."

* * *

Ino's mom doesn't like the idea of her being on antidepressants, but Ino doesn't care. Within two weeks, the antidepressants make Ino feel almost _normal_. When her eyes close, she is longer no haunted by images of dead, screaming children, begging, _pleading_ for her aid. She has fewer nightmares about being useless because her chakra is blocked and there are piles and piles of mangled bodies that need _help_ but she can only do so much, _so much_ , to stop the bleeding and fix the broken.

Ino is _okay_.

As okay as she will ever be.

 _Ino is still Ino._

After a month, Tsunade recommends a low dose anti-anxiety medication on top of her daily antidepressants. While the antidepressants Ino is on help her feel normal, and regulate her mood, they do very little to prevent the anxiety and panic attacks she has developed. Tsunade says that she doesn't have to take them every day if she doesn't want to, but she should definitely take them when she feels unusually anxious or like she's about to have a panic attack. She warns Ino that taking the drugs with alcohol is dangerous, and that the drugs may impair her chakra control and her coordination.

The Hokage assures Ino that what she is going through is entirely common among ninja.

Ino knows this all too well.

Ino takes her antidepressants religiously, almost as religiously as she takes her birth control. The anti-anxiety meds she takes when she is off-duty. One tablet a day, another one if she feels a panic attack setting in. She never takes them during a mission.

This is how she copes.

* * *

Despite starting later than Sakura, Ino finishes her apprenticeship with Tsunade earlier, and frantically begins her training with Ibiki.

Ino refuses to rest. When she's not training with Ibiki, she is training with her father. When she's not training with her father, she is training with her teammates, the other members of Konoha 11, or Asuma. When she's not training with any of them, she is either training by herself, training with Tsunade, working in the flower shop, working in the hospital, or working on her mental health.

The training, the missions, the _exhaustion_ that comes from doing anything and everything she can, helps her cope with her depression and anxiety. They are reasons to get out of bed, reasons to keep on living, reasons to grow stronger and better and kinder.

Reasons to forgive herself.

Everyone notices the changes in Ino, but no one says a thing.

Slowly but surely, she climbs up the ranks.

And then Naruto comes back from his training with Jiraya.

* * *

Ino goes about her day when she gets a mission scroll delivered to her apartment; it mentions something about recovering a dangerous subject. To receive the rest of the intel, she has to go to the Hokage Tower. Seeing that she has some down time, Ino begins to dress herself in her standard ninja gear: thigh-length, high-heeled ninja boots, a deep purple and black skirt, and her matching, standard top with the first five or so buttons undone to reveal a black, skin tight, choker-styled hitai-ate. Underneath her skirt she wears black spandex shorts; there is mesh covering her thighs, knees, and elbows, and bandages wrap around her right thigh, securing a holster of weapons. Her make-up, as always, is perfect, despite Shika's and Choji's remarks that she doesn't need any.

She shunshins she way to the Hokage's office before the rest of her teammates for the mission even arrive.

"I hate when you do that." Tsunade remarks without even a slight twitch or glance.

"What, when I shunshin into your office, or when I show up early?" Ino grins, she's having a good day, and since she has quickly grown into Tsunade-sama's heart, she's not worried about stirring contempt.

"Both. Everything. My headache. Shizune hiding all of my sake until I finish this paperwork." Tsunade-sama rubs healing chakra into her temples, easing her headache and making her sigh. Ino simply watches, waiting.

"Who else is coming?"

Tsunade scribbles a little more, puts down her utensil, and cracks her knuckles. "Shikamaru, Neji, and Naruto."

"Ah. Wonderful."

When she senses them behind the doors, Ino stands up from her couch, and makes her way to the front of Tsunade's desk.

With Naruto, Shika, and Neji around Ino, Tsunade finally discusses the mission. "Sasuke was spotted on the outskirts of our country, near Amegakure. Intel says he is heading for Iwagakure, but it will be at least a couple of days before he'll be able to safely make it there, since he's a missing-nin with a high bounty on his head. Your job is to catch him using whatever means necessary, and bring him back to Konoha, preferably before he makes his way through Amegakure." The nin nod, Naruto visibly fired up about the idea of bringing Sasuke home.

"Who will be leading the mission?" Neji asks, looking around. All four of them are jounin, on top of that, Naruto is, well… Naruto, so they have a strong group. It can really go either way.

"Ino will be leading the mission." Shikamaru isn't surprised at all. Neji is a little, but he's grown out of his ego, so he accepts of the fact.

Naruto, on the other hand, pouts in disbelief. "What!? But Baa-chan, I know Sasuke the best! And Ino is the only one who didn't go on the rescue mission five years ago!"

"That is precisely why Ino will be leading the mission. She is the only one not clouded by illusions from five years ago concerning Sasuke. Ino is the strongest kunoichi among your group, and she also outranks all of you, so _you will obey her orders_." Tsunade's voice is commandeering, but it raises another question for Naruto.

"What do you mean, she outranks us all?"

Shikamaru rolls his eyes, tapping Naruto. "She means that Ino is ANBU."

"Really? That's awesome! Good job Ino!"

Ino pays Naruto's compliment no attention. "Tsunade-sama! That's supposed to be a secret."

Tsunade shrugs, "It's out now. And just so you three are aware, Ino has not only perfected her clan's jutsu, she has also apprenticed with me, and with Ibiki. Ino has even surpassed Sakura in her training." As the men stand, astonished, Tsunade takes out a wet napkin from her desk and throws it at Ino. "Show them."

Sighing, Ino rubs the napkin across her forehead, revealing the Strength of a Hundred Seal to her fellow nin. The genjutsu hiding her ANBU seal is also released. "Now why did you have me do this, Tsunade-sama?"

"So that they respect you. So that they never look down on you for being a female ninja. So that they know, going into this mission, that you are their best chance of success."

Following a moment of silence, Naruto asks, "So… If Obaa-chan taught you every she knows, why don't you just do the punchy thing that Sakura does during bouts?"

In disbelief at his question, both Ino and Tsunade burst out in laughter. "My fighting style changes according to who my opponent is. I haven't fought against many opponents where simple and strong physical attacks work, that's why you've never seen me use the style."

Tsunade explains the rest of the mission, Ino tells them to meet her at the gates in an hour, and everyone leaves.

* * *

When the group reaches Amegakure, they hide their chakra.

Two hours into Amegakure, darkest nightfall hits. The group sets up camp and bundle up on warm clothes and body heat, since fire will give their location away. Shikamaru and Ino have the first two-hour night watch, so Naruto and Neji sleep.

Shikamaru and Ino sit back to back, softly whispering to each other. "Why didn't you tell me you have the seal? Or that you became ANBU?"

"Same reason I didn't tell you about the medications. I didn't want you to look at me differently. Why didn't you tell me about you and Temari?"

"Because it's… it's like if I talk about it, it becomes real. And the more real it becomes, the more afraid I become of losing her. I almost lost the both of you not too long ago."

"We made it out okay."

"Barely. I know what that did to you both. It was bad. Temari still refuses to talk about it, she'd rather drink. And you have to take meds. At least your coping mechanisms are healthier than hers. I worry about her mental health. And her liver."

"Temari will pull through eventually, she has to. She's strong. It's hard to ignore the mangled bodies and screams of children forever, one day she will have enough. We were young. None of us were prepared. We felt useless. It's no one's fault."

"And you? How do your meds make you feel?"

"The antidepressants make me feel… normal. It's hard to explain, it's like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I breathe easier. I can get up out of bed. I feel more rational, I feel in control of myself. The anti-anxiety meds make me feel calm. They do affect my coordination, and I get a little confused every now and then. If I feel too anxious, or feel a panic attack surfacing, and I take another pill, I feel… comfortably numb. And that's okay. Because I'm still me. I'm just me, who's making her mental health a priority. I think that the brain is like any other organ in the body. Sometimes, it needs help to rest and to heal itself. I can't do that on my own. These meds help me provide that comfort to my mind."

Silence surrounds them as they each take in what Ino says. After a long pause, Shikamaru asks, "Can you talk to Temari about this? I think it would really help her."

Ino smiles softly at the sky. "Sure, Shika. Anything for you. Also, wake up the others, Sasuke is nearby."

Tsunade and Ino had planned beforehand to "feed" false intel to neighboring areas saying that Team Kakashi was the one going after Sasuke, and that according to them, Sasuke's destination was Otogakure. Otogakure is Orochimaru's land, after all, so it wasn't much of a stretch. Sasuke's smart, Ino will grant him that, but his downside has always been that he thinks everyone else is beneath him, intelligence and otherwise. By feeding his expectations, they might actually have a chance of catching him.

The plan is actually quite simple, and works perfectly.

As Naruto approaches Sasuke's campsite, the rest of the gang hides deep in the woods, awaiting their respective actions. Sasuke expects Naruto. Out of respect, or more likely egotism, he doesn't run away, simply stands up and waits on his ex-teammate. He's not even surprised Naruto has found him.

In the moonlight, with the stars sprayed softly in the sky, Naruto tries to talk Sasuke into coming home. Not as a prisoner, but as a Konoha-nin.

When Sasuke refuses, Shikamaru takes advantage of the moonlight and binds Sasuke with the Shadow Imitation technique.

Before Sasuke has the chance to defend himself, Ino yells, "Now!", and Neji jumps out, using his Gentle Fist technique to completely incapacitate Sasuke's chakra flows.

"Do you have the seal?" Neji just nods, and wraps a seal on Sasuke's neck, preventing the release of his Cursed Seal of Heaven. After all is said and done, Ino approaches Sasuke's paralyzed body. She binds his arms together in a metal seal to prevent further chakra flow. Gathering ample amount of chakra into her hand, Ino proceeds to strike Sasuke so forcefully in the back of the head that he loses consciousness.

"Damn. I think I might have given him a concussion. Shika, you can release the technique as soon as I possess his body." Ino uses her Mind Body Switch technique to take over Sasuke, moving his head up, and Shikamaru releases his shadow ninjutsu. "Remember, we have to come back to the village quickly, even with all of the measures in place, who knows how long I will be able to inhabit this body. Neji leads the way back. Naruto and Shika are on either side of me. Shika, ask me a question only I would know the answer to every half hour during our travel. If I hesitate, knock me out. Naruto, carry my body and make sure to watch for any personality changes indicative of Sasuke regaining control. If you sense anything odd occurring, feel free to knock me out, too. Every two hours we will take a break to have Neji block Sasuke's chakra channels. I should only be able to run in this body, and nothing else. Let's go."

The run back is fairly quiet, except for the clockwork questions by Shikamaru, and Naruto's ramblings every now and again. "You're so lightweight, Ino! Do you eat?" Naruto comments as he switches the manner in which he carries her body.

"I'm lightweight because I'm almost all lean muscle. And of course I eat. I told myself a while back that I would stop dieting to be skinny and start eating for strength and enjoyment. I eat healthy; you could learn a thing or two about that."

Shika snorts, and Naruto pouts awkwardly at the comment. After all, it sounds like Ino, and yet it's Sasuke's voice. "It's off-putting, hearing you talk in Sasuke's voice."

"Then stop asking stupid questions."

They're three hours out. Neji is almost entirely silent, only opening his mouth every two hours to ask Ino how she feels about the control she has on Sasuke's body and how the chakra inhibition is affecting her. Her ridiculous training regime over the last five years has proven exceptionally useful in this moment; her hold on Sasuke is as strong as it was initially, and she has only run slightly out of stamina. The questions Shika asks are always answered correctly, although sometimes they are embarrassing, especially since she has to answer them in the presence of Neji and Naruto.

The sun arises by the time they reach the gates. They have the gatekeeper contact the Hokage, who arrives with Ibiki and several ANBU to get a hold of Sasuke.

"Good job, Ino, as always." Tsunade-sama exclaims, and Ino, still in Sasuke's body, awkwardly smiles.

It's an odd sight to see.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama. Can I leave Sasuke's body now?"

Tsunade signals at the ANBU to stand at all sides of Sasuke Uchiha, and then nods at Ino to release her jutsu.

"Naruto, put my body in an upright position. Neji, as soon as I release the jutsu, go ahead and block Sasuke's chakra again. Just in case." Both men nod, and Ino breathes life into her own body. Dusting off her ninja gear as Neji preforms another round of the Gentle Fist technique, she adds, "I think I gave Sasuke head trauma, so right now might not be the best time to interrogate him."

Tsunade laughs lightly, "Good to know, Ino."

One of the ANBU, Bear, gently places a hand on Ino's shoulder, "Good job, Cap'."

"Oh, for fuck's sake, Bear!"

* * *

After healing the majority of his injuries, sans returning his chakra flow back, Sasuke is kept in a highly secure and guarded holding chamber within the interrogation department. His room is one of the few with an interrogation area built into it, as he would be too dangerous to move from place to place.

Ibiki, Tsunade, and Ino are in the interrogation area across from Sasuke, eyeing him steadily, as Sakura, Naruto, Kakashi, and Sai stay behind the one-way glass, watching intently. Two ANBU guard the door from the outside, and another two block the door from within the room. Neji and Shikamaru are in another area, explaining the events of the mission to Shizune and Anko, and providing information on whether or not they believe Sasuke will be safe to rehabilitate. The rest of Konoha 11 are being interviewed in separate rooms, in a conjoining building.

Tsunade begins, "Sasuke Uchiha, you have been declared a missing-nin for the past five years. In a standard case, someone as dangerous as you would have been sentenced to death for desertion and treason, but we are offering you a chance at rehabilitation, depending on how you and your previous teammates testify. Do you understand?"

Sasuke is silent, and Ino can feel Sakura's anxiety from across the glass separating them. "You know, Sasuke," Ino flips her hair. "I know some things about you that you think no one knows. And I know some things about you that even you don't know. I know what you want, and I know about Itachi."

At the mention of his brother, Sasuke changes his demeanor. He straightens his back and locks eyes with Ino. He can't activate his Sharingan, but his eyes pierce hers nonetheless. Ino doesn't mind, she simply crosses one leg over the other, relaxing into her chair. "What do you know about my brother?"

"Come on, Sasuke. You're an open book. We know you killed Orochimaru. We know you absorbed some of his power. We know you've been tracking Itachi to kill him and take his Sharingan. You may be a missing-nin, but we've kept our eyes on you." Ino smirks.

"I said: what do you know about my brother?"

Ino ignores the question; she is one of Ibiki's best interrogators, and until either he or Tsunade takes over the conversation, she will have her fun cracking Sasuke. "Have you noticed you no longer have the Cursed Seal of Heaven on your neck, or the powers of Orochimaru? Did you know that if the mark had not been removed, Orochimaru would have consumed you and used your body as his new vessel? Who do you think removed your mark? Who do you think led us to you?"

"Impossible."

Tsunade continues where Ino leaves off, "Not impossible. Your _brother_ is a double agent. Has been since he first joined ANBU. He killed the Uchiha clan as a mission for Sarutobi, who received information that the clan had not only been the ones to release and control the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox, but that they were also planning to overthrow the Konoha leadership. To prevent the massacre of the entire village, Itachi sacrificed his reputation and your clan. He continues, to this day, to report to us. By infiltrating the Akatsuki and acting as a missing-nin, he is able to provide us valuable information. He's not the traitor. You are."

"Impossible…"

"Think about it. Itachi was the _only_ member of your clan who truly never succumbed to the Curse of Hatred. His love and devotion for his village, and for you, his brother, has kept him sane. You, on the other hand, have practically descended into madness." Ibiki emotionlessly adds.

"Sasuke, this might come as a surprise to you, but I don't much care for you. Never really did. You're a bleak reminder of a broken relationship between me and one of my cherished friends. In my opinion, you don't deserve the love and commitment, the time, the effort, the energy the people who love you, waste on you. Sakura and Naruto pretend that they're okay, but they're not. I've witnessed the tears, I've seen the swollen eyes, the hopelessness and the despair at losing a valuable team member. I've seen Naruto punch a tree until his knuckles were ripped to the bone. I've seen Sakura drink herself half to death. They couldn't move on. Not really. Everything they did, everything they've trained for, they did for you. You broke the strongest kunoichi I've ever known. You betrayed your only friend. Now, your choice of either death or rehabilitation will release them of the pain they've felt the last five years. Choose wisely. There are people who still love you. There are ways to control your Curse of Hatred. Relationships can be healed, even the one you have with your brother." Ino sighs, running her fingers through her bangs. Information wouldn't be actually gathered until Uchiha allows himself to be vulnerable, and who knows when that will happen, or if?

"You have forty-eight hours to make your decision." Ibiki stands up, Ino and Tsunade follow suit. "Think about it. And know that regardless of your decision, we will be gathering information from you; whether we use force or not will be entirely up to you."

The three leave the room to meet the shinobi behind the glass.

Sasuke closes his eyes, his mind wading into the quiet.

* * *

Sakura cries on Ino's shoulder as soon as they make their way to the first-floor lobby. Slowly but surely, everyone from the Konoha 11 departs, dealing with Sasuke's return on their own terms, but Sakura cries into Ino's shoulder, and Ino does the only thing she can: she comforts her. Gently rubbing her back and playing with her hair, Ino caresses Sakura like a child, until Sakura has lost the ability to shed tears. Ino leads an exhausted Sakura back to her own apartment. There, she softly lays Sakura down on the bed, pulls the covers over her, heals the poor girl's eyes, and uses a soft genjutsu to lull the girl to sleep.

She can only hope Sakura's dreams are comforting.

Leaving some water and painkillers on the nightstand, Ino exists her bedroom.

That night, Ino takes her anti-anxiety meds, and ends up sleeping on the couch in her living room.

* * *

Naruto's attitude towards Ino completely changes.

She doesn't notice it at first. Yes, they begin to regularly grab food together, go to events and clubs together, but they're paired often on missions (Tsunade is considering Naruto for ANBU) so she figures it's just to build morale and friendship between them. After all, they'd never been really close, especially since Naruto had been pursuing Sakura since they began training at the academy.

There's a strange glint in Naruto's eyes every time they hang out. If he were a normal guy, Ino would have assumed he was trying to get with her. Yet Naruto never makes any moves, and if anything, Ino is the more aggressive of the two. At one point, she thinks he is going to ask about how to get with Sakura, but it never occurs. Ever since Sasuke accepted rehabilitation, Sakura's eyes are only on him, making sure he never betrays the village, slowly helping rebuild the trust between him and the rest of Konoha.

The Uzumaki consistently makes time to talk to her, to reveal his deepest feelings to her, to really get to know her. He discusses his nightmares with her, his fears about Sasuke, even the Kyuubi.

Ino stops reading into his intentions, and simply chooses to enjoy his company. He is actually a good listener, and he's been a good friend to her since Sasuke's return. In fact, he's slowly starting to know her just as well as Shika and Choji, which says something.

It isn't until she grabs barbeque with Choji and Shika that she is made aware of Naruto's… feelings towards her.

As Choji scarfs down his food as quickly as it cooks, Shika surprises Ino mid-bite. "You know, he's totally infatuated with you."

Ino practically chokes. "I'm sorry?"

"Naruto. He's in love with you. Everyone can tell."

"You're being ridiculous. Naruto and I don't have that kind of relationship. Hell, we didn't even develop a real friendship until recently."

Shika sighs, clearly troubled by his need to clarify the entire situation. "Doesn't matter. Also, when you say recently, do you mean a year? Because that's how long it's been since we returned Sasuke to Konoha. And of course, he's in love with you. You rescued his best friend. Not only that, you helped rehabilitate Sasuke, despite not gaining anything from it. You're like a god to Naruto, anyone can see it in his eyes. He worships at your altar." Choji eats and nods simultaneously at Shikamaru's explanation.

Ino's throat suddenly feels dry. She shakily takes a sip of her drink. "Then why hasn't Naruto said anything?"

Choji takes a break from eating to explain, "Ino, you're kinda intimidating. I mean, you're this intelligent, kickass, beautiful ninja. On top of that, you'll only approach men when you want something from them, but you never take them seriously. You're closed off to pretty much everyone except me and Shika. That doesn't leave Naruto with many openings. I'm assuming he's just waiting for a chance."

"Not to mention, it kinda feels like you've given up on love, Ino," adds Shika.

Ino rubs her temples, "I haven't given up on love. I just don't have an active interest in it. I'm focused on bettering myself right now. Also, I imagine it would be a… challenge… to put up with me in a relationship."

All is quiet, until Choji points to Ino's share of the food with his chopsticks. "Are you gonna eat that?"

* * *

Their mission goes terribly wrong, and before Boar can even think, she's running for Naruto, screaming, "Fox! _Fox_!"

Phoenix, and Sloth are behind her, "Boar, it's not safe!"

"I fucking know that, give me a moment!"

 _Think think think. Think Ino. Think. Think._

"Phoenix, get in there and use the Eight Trigrams; Sloth, help me secure as many targets outside of Phoenix's range. I'm going to combine Mind Body Disturbance and Mind Body Transmission to trap the enemies' minds in a genjutsu as I make them attack each other. That should buy me enough time to try and heal Fox." _While using three highly chakra expending techniques to cover Phoenix. Fucking genius Ino. You're a fucking stupid ass genius._

Three hours later, everyone is exhausted, the hundred or so enemy ninja are dead, and Ino, with what little chakra she has, is still healing Naruto's wound.

"We need… to get him… back to Konoha. If it weren't for the Kyuubi, he'd already be dead," Phoenix pants out.

"How are we supposed to… transport someone with a giant hole in his torso to Konoha? He'll die before we get there." Boar feels dizzy, and weak, like she's reliving the incident six and a half years ago.

 _Breathe. Breathe. Deep breaths. It'll be okay. You're gonna be okay. Think._

"This is what we are going to do. I will open the Strength of a Hundred seal and share some chakra with the both of you. You guys will keep guard and contact someone for an extraction. I am going to enter Fox's body, and find the Kyuubi to share the rest of my chakra reserves. He will be able to save Fox. _He has to_ , Fox is his vessel."

With some of their chakra reserves restored, Sloth and Phoenix guard the limp, practically lifeless bodies of their teammates.

* * *

It doesn't take much effort for Ino to find the Kyuubi's seal. The seal behind which he is kept waxes and wanes in its strength. Kurama himself looks weak, his fur dulled in color.

As Ino advances, Kurama opens one eye; he's clearly in agony, every breath a painful heave. He sees her, in her torn ninja gear, long blond hair flying wildly, the released seal decorating her body in ink-black art. "I can see why Naruto is enamored with you. You approach like an unhinged goddess."

Ino rolls her eyes, "Just shut up and let me help you. If Naruto dies, you die. I'm going to transfer my collected chakra to you so you can heal both yourself and him. And later, if you're a good boy, I'll fix this place up for you, so it looks less dreary. But only if you save Naruto."

Kurama has no choice, really, and the kit has grown on him, so he accepts the offer. Ino passes through the bars of his jail, and presses a palm against the length of Kurama's nose, transferring all of the chakra she has to the Kyuubi.

After that, all is dark.

* * *

Ino awakes to a wad of papers slapping against her foot.

"You"-smack-"could"-smack-"have"-smack-"died!".

"Tsunade-sama, please stop attacking my foot with a wad of what I assume are important documents. It hurts."

"Ino, you moron, what you did was highly dangerous. What if you never returned to your own body?" Tsunade scolds, but Ino can tell by the tears in her Hokage's eyes that she's thankful. Thankful that Ino is okay, thankful that Naruto was saved. "Also, I can't believe that worked. Should have tried that sooner."

Ino's vision is hazy, and her throat is dry. "Discussing what-ifs seems a little unnecessary, considering the fact that I'm alive and in my body. Also, can you hand me my antidepressants and anti-anxiety meds? And some water?" Only when two completely different arms hand her the medication and a glass of water does Ino realize she and Tsunade have company. Ino rubs her eyes, trying to restore the rest of her vision.

Gulping down the pills, and knowing they wouldn't take effect nearly as quickly as she wants them to, Ino nonchalantly states, "What? It's not like I'm the first person in the world to require meds to feel like myself."

"Fair enough, Ino," Shika says, "Just making sure you're okay with everyone in the room knowing something that personal about you. You've been pretty out of it."

Choji munches on chips and nods. "Yeah, you haven't been super conscious for the last three days. Every time a visitor came, you'd softly mumble 'hey there, pretty lady', even if it was Neji. If a visitor left, you'd tell them 'bye bb, bye bb' like eight times."

Neji coughs, grabbing everyone's attention. "In my defense, I _am_ a pretty lady."

Abrupt laughter fills the room, giving Ino ample time to realize just how many people occupied the space around her bed. There were the obvious four – Neji, Choji, Shika, and Tsunade, but stuffed inside the tiny area were also Asuma, her parents, Sakura, Hinata, and even Sai. But no Naruto. "Ummm… why is practically everyone here? The hospital only allows three visitors at a time."

Tsunade scoffs. "I'm the Hokage. I do what I want. Now that you're awake though, we should leave. You need space to breathe." After shooing everyone out of the room, Tsunade makes her way to Ino's right side, and gently runs her fingers through the soft blond strands. "Naruto is in the hallway waiting. Are you okay talking to him, or do you want me to send him away?"

"He can come in."

"Okay, I'll let him know. I'll be checking in on you in the morning. With any luck, you should be out of the hospital by the end of tomorrow."

Naruto softly steps into her hospital room; it's by far the quietest she's seen him outside a mission. Pulling a chair close to her bed, he sits down and looks with earnest at Ino. "Kurama told me what you did. Thank you. You saved my life. You saved Kurama."

"Well, tell him I can't fix the stupid landscape of his seal any time soon."

An awkward silence ensues, one Ino is not comfortable tolerating. "Naruto, I've only got about fifteen or so minutes before the concoction of my antidepressants, anti-anxiety meds, lack of chakra, and whatever they put in my IV turns me into a blob of sleepy confusion. I know there's something else you want to say."

Naruto sighs, taking Ino's hand into his own. Despite herself, blood rushes to Ino's cheeks. "I'm in love with you."

Ino takes a deep breath, her heart feels funny. She turns her head away so he can't see the single tear slowly rolling down her left cheek. Forcing her voice to be even, she states, "Infatuation and love aren't the same thing. I know you, Naruto. You'd have revered any nin who successfully returned Sasuke to you."

Hurt flashes in Naruto's eyes, but Ino refuses to look. "Revere? Maybe. But I wouldn't go out of my way to spend time with someone, take them out for food, and share my deepest feelings and thoughts and pains with them if I was just infatuated. I know infatuation, Ino. This is more than that. This is more than what I've ever felt for any woman, including Sakura. I see you in my dreams. _I love you._ "

Ino can feel the light heat in her head indicative of the effect of her pills. "You really shouldn't love me. I'm a mess. I have depressive episodes. I get nightmares. I get panic attacks. My particular set of neuroses makes relationships hard. You wouldn't be able to handle it. You'd tire of me, we'd grow to loathe each other, and that would hurt me even more. Do yourself a favor, and date someone easy. Hinata has loved you since day one. She's the one you should be with, not me. We're better off as friends. You should go."

"Just tell me one thing, and I'll leave, I promise."

Ino shuts her eyes. "Okay."

"Are you in love with me?"

"…Yes."

Behind Ino's hospital door, Naruto cries.

* * *

"Why won't you let yourself be happy?"

Ino shoots back, "You're in love with Sasuke, a _literal trash bag_ , while Lee, one of the sweetest men in the world, worships you. And you disregard him because, what, you don't like his eyebrows? You have no right to ask me that question. I can tell you're miserable trying to get Sasuke to notice you, yet again."

Sakura blushes in shame. "Well at least I'm _trying_ at love."

"If you were actually trying at love you'd let go of the idea of being Ms. Uchiha and let Lee take you out on a date. But you won't, because pining for Sasuke is ideal. The results will never change. He'll never love you, and that knowledge _comforts_ you, because at least you know the outcome."

Sakura swallows down a heated outburst and averts her eyes. "When did you get so good at reading people?"

The Yamanaka heiress just shrugs in response and eats some dango.

* * *

Ino hasn't seen Naruto since the hospital visit six weeks ago. Her chest feels hollow, but she knows it's for the best. The Yamanaka's mental health is currently fragile, and a wrong relationship could really set her back. Recovery is important. She is important. Taking care of herself is the first priority, so it makes sense to avoid Naruto.

She gets up, takes a shower, puts on some clothes, eats, and takes her meds. It's earlier than she usually wakes up on a regular day, but her mother has asked her to manage the flower shop today, so she makes her way to the Yamanaka residency.

Few customers come by the shop in the morning, so Ino spends most of her time in the greenhouse, tending to the flowers. It's relaxing work, a good repose from all the training she's been doing to regain her chakra control and strength. Ino even finds herself softly humming.

She is so fixated on her work that she doesn't notice Naruto standing right behind her until she twirls around and physically bumps into him, nose to chest.

"Oh. Oops, sorry." She pulls away, and he lets her, but retains a gentle hand on her shoulder to make sure she faces him. His touch is feather soft, and if she really wants to, she can easily swat his hand away.

She doesn't.

"Ino."

Ino stares at the ground. Naruto hasn't even said anything, and she already feels like crying.

"Ino, will you please look at me?"

"My eyeballs are tearing up for some reason, so I would prefer not to."

She can see Naruto shift his weight.

"Can I hold you? That way I can't see you cry, but I can still comfort you? Please?"

Ino clears her throat to hide the coarseness of her voice. "Yeah… that's okay."

Within a second, she's in his strong embrace. Powerful arms wrap around her, and she can feel his chest press against her own, she can smell his soothing scent, she can sense the callous of his one hand pressed against the curve of her spine, the other hand cautiously manipulating her head to the side so he can more easily run his fingers through her hair.

His comforting presence completely overwhelms her; it takes all of her willpower not to breakdown.

"I love you. I thought, with time, it would fade. But it hasn't, it's just gotten stronger. I can't help it, you're constantly on my mind. I worried about you every day these last six weeks, I kept fighting myself about visiting you; I respected your need for space so I preoccupied myself with other things, but my mind always went back to your words in the hospital. I want you to know that your mental illnesses don't define you, they don't define any of us. I've been on meds since Iruka adopted me, and while I can't give specifics, there are others going through the exact same things as you. You're not alone. And Ino, I would never tire of you. I would never do anything that would purposely hurt you. I promise to always be patient, and understanding, and loving to you, because that is what you deserve. I can't promise that we'll never argue, but I can promise that I will never leave you. You are the most resilient, and cunning, and funny, and gorgeous woman I have ever met. I adore you. _This is real._ Will you… will you give us a try?" Naruto is _pleading_. Ino has never had him be so vulnerable around her. She's pretty sure he's crying.

After a moment of stillness, Ino nods her head into Naruto's chest. Voice overtaken with emotion, she croaks out a quiet 'yes'.

Relief floods Naruto's entire being as the two rock back and forth, comfortable in each other's arms, heartbeats syncing up.

"Can I kiss you, Ino?" Naruto softly asks.

Ino lifts her head up, her cheeks marred with dried tears, snot coming out of her nose. "You made me all gross and emotional," she huffs out, rubbing her nose against her forearm.

Naruto chuckles, "I don't mind."

"Well I do, give me a second!" Ino playfully mutters. Rubbing her eyes and cheeks, she raises her head again, nodding at Naruto.

The kiss is sweet, soft, slow. It's everything she's ever wanted and more, and as it deepens, Ino loses herself. Passion roars as her heart soars; her knees are weak, all her anxieties about love, about being _enough,_ float away as her mind completely numbs. She succumbs to the way Naruto makes her _feel_ , physically hyperaware of the way his hands roam around her body, ever so gentle, making her arch for more. When they part to breathe, Naruto can't help but smirk. "Tasted a little salty."

Ino smacks him playfully. "If you complain about my snot, you're not gonna get any."

Naruto simply smiles. " _I love you_."

Ino gently caresses the Uzumaki's cheeks, staring deeply into his azure eyes as she leans in for a quick peck. " _I love you, too._ "

* * *

EXTRA INFO CONCERNING THE STORY: (Again, this does not follow the manga and anime timeline)

 _***I made the time gap between Part 1 and Part 2 ** _FIVE_** wholesome years instead of two.***_

 _Ino's training with Tsunade/the Seal_ : In the Naruto Universe, it takes three years of strong chakra control to collect the chakra to the forehead to create the Strength of a Hundred seal. In the manga/anime, it only takes Sakura two years to complete her apprenticeship with Tsunade, while simultaneously gathering her chakra, so she only needs one more year to get the Yin Seal. This is the exact same thing that happens with Ino in this story. Both of them have the seal, they just acquired it at different times. Ino finishes her apprentice quicker with Tsunade so she can apprentice under Ibiki, so Ino gets the seal after Sakura already has it.

 _Ino's training with Ibiki_ : Ino's father is one of the heads of the Intelligence Unit, so the Yamanakas work often with Ibiki. After her training with Tsunade (two years) Ino goes to train with Ibiki because it is assumed she will also be working interrogation and intelligence, like her father. (I wanna say this was something mentioned in the manga and anime maybe?) That is also why she is in Sasuke's room during "the talk". As the only person in the mission group to not only have interrogation training but also be 50/50 about Sasuke, she is a valuable asset to getting him to drop his guard because she's his age, and she has intimate knowledge of how badly his leave hurt Sakura and Naruto.

 _Ino as ANBU/Cap_ : I changed the timeline of the in-between to **_five_** wholesome years, to accommodate Ino's training with her father, which she would be doing around the clock, Ino's training with Ibiki, and Ino's training with Tsunade. This gives Ino plenty of time to 1) become a chuunin, then 2) become a jounin. Assuming she accomplishes that in the first two years, that leaves her three years to get ingratiated in the ANBU and become captain. Also recall that in the manga/anime, a shinobi doesn't have to be a certain rank to enter the ANBU.

***I made every Konoha 11 character a jounin, which implies that some time passed (months, not years) for Naruto to be on even ranks with everyone else (I did this because I was lazy and didn't want to figure out who I wanted to be what rank.) Let's assume he took the chuunin exam while he was training with Jiraya, since he had five goddamn years. _This also means that other characters of the Konoha 11 are ANBU_ , they're just not part of the initial mission.

*** _ **Bear**_ = Choji. Surprise!

***I refused to create a montage of her training to show that what she was doing is feasible in the timeframe I gave her because I wanted the readers to be just as surprised at Ino's growth as the rest of the Konoha nin were. It was a way to contrast what her peers were expecting of Sakura and Naruto (two major characters with a lot of development) with what they were expecting of Ino. The sudden drops in dialogue revealing that Ino is more than just a pretty face are also to change Naruto's perceptions on the female kunoichi in his life, and to broaden his mind. Since he'd always been pining for Sakura, he wasn't able to acknowledge the other strong women around him.

***I genuinely, in my heart of dead hearts, feel like Ino is open with her life when it comes to shallow things, like what she wears or who she's dating, but when it comes to something personal about her (seal, Ibiki, ANBU, her drugs, who she loves) she's extremely secretive and so I tried to show how others would hear the news of her accomplishments, because she sure as hell wouldn't be the one to tell them.

* * *

This is my gift to you after six years of hiatus. Is this trash or is this not trash? You decide. Also let me know if I made any grammar/spelling mistakes. Like I said, haven't written in six years.

I am always happy to hear your thoughts so please review!


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